Milwaukee police are engaging in almost three times as many vehicle pursuits in recent years, and even though crashes have almost quadrupled and the apprehension rate is down, officials believe the chases are worth it.
According to a recent study, the increase is fueled mostly by a rise in reckless driving, which in 2017 drove Milwaukee’s police oversight board, the Fire and Police Commission, to force an expansion of a policy governing when chases are acceptable.
Vehicle pursuits are among the most dangerous activities law enforcement perform and the challenge of striking the right balance with them has vexed officials across the country. And nationally, there is some debate about how appropriate it is to chase reckless drivers, given the risk that it will only increase danger for everyone nearby.
“This is a risk that (Milwaukee) wants to assume and I think with it comes certain responsibilities and consequences,” said Chuck Wexler, the executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, who has written extensively on vehicle pursuits.
But in a city that has been frustrated with reckless driving for about a decade, Police Chief Jeffrey Norman argued his officers have balanced the risks appropriately while the feedback from the community has been, “Don’t let up. Keep the pressure on.”
Hellbound and Down 